Toronto resident charged with defrauding the CRA

Toronto, Ontario, July 28, 2015... The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) announced today that on July 23, 2015 a warrant of arrest was executed against Kevin Ekow Plange, of Toronto, Ontario. Mr. Plange appeared at the Old City Hall Court House in Toronto where he was charged with committing an offence contrary to Section 380(1)(a) of the Criminal Code.

It is alleged that Plange, by deceit, falsehood or other fraudulent means unlawfully did defraud or attempt to defraud the Government of Canada of money in an amount greater than five thousand dollars ($5,000), by preparing and submitting false Direct Deposit Request forms pertaining to GST/HST, Payroll and/or Corporation Income Tax, to the Canada Revenue Agency to change the direct deposit information of corporations, and as a result redirected or attempted to redirect GST/HST refunds and other payments properly payable to corporations, to bank accounts controlled by him.

Plange allegedly submitted to CRA, between August 13, 2013 and July 28, 2014, 28 fraudulent Direct Deposit forms, to change the direct deposit information for the accounts of twelve corporations. Plange falsified these Direct Deposit forms to direct GST/HST refunds and other payments properly payable to the corporations into bank accounts held by him with various Canadian banks. As a result, it is alleged that Plange attempted to fraudulently redirect $41,831,073 into bank accounts he controlled.

In cooperation with the CRA, the financial institutions involved froze the accounts and the loss to the federal government was limited to $15,289.06.

The preceding information was obtained from the court records.

"The Canada Revenue Agency pursues those who commit fraud to maintain public confidence in the integrity of the tax system," said Vince Pranjivan, Assistant Commissioner of the Ontario Region.

Anyone with information about tax cheating is encouraged to call our Informant Leads Program at their toll free number to report suspected cases of alleged tax improprieties. Visit www.cra.gc.ca/leads.

Further information on convictions can also be found in the Media Room on the CRA website at www.cra.gc.ca/convictions.

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For media information

Sam Papadopoulos
Manager, Communications
416-952-8096

Date modified:

2015-07-29